‘Dragon Ball Super’ Teaches Jiren Why You Don’t Go After Goku’s Comrades

Episode 130 of Dragon Ball Super had Goku and Jiren not only clash physically, but mentally as well. As Goku seemed to rise in power after mastering Ultra Instinct, Jiren became confused and angry.

Asking how Goku could still get up after losing so much stamina, Goku says he has others counting on him to give him strength. Though he’s “no hero of justice or anything,” Goku proved to Jiren why villains should never threaten his friends.

Fans were curious as to why Goku seemed to be fighting for the fate of Universe 7 now after he had gone through much of the Tournament of Power, but Master Roshi describes Goku’s shift to a universal protector perfectly:

“Goku has people who help raise each other up. Not only do we all treasure each other greatly, but our existence also gives Goku strength. I’m sure he doesn’t believe, even for a moment, that he came this far by himself.”

As Goku and Jiren continued to fight, the series had a flashback to Dragon Ball Z as Roshi and the rest of Universe 7 think back to what he’s done for them. His ability to make even the most villainous of fiends his friends through fighting has made him strong and this is a direct reflection of Jiren’s finding strength in solitude.

Jiren openly throws away friendships and trust, and believes that to holding on to such things would deny everything he’s been through. He tries to prove that anything Goku believes in could be erased in an instant by blasting a ki blast into the stands, but Goku thankfully blocks it.

This gives Goku the final push he needs to really bring Jiren down. He claims that he’s no hero of justice, which is true as Goku often gets into fights for his own selfish reasons, but his not exactly going to let his friends get hurt either. That’s been true throughout the entire Dragon Ball series as well, as even when Goku is excited to fight the best foes often get him to fight seriously for his friends and family.

For fans sad about the series ending after Episode 131, it seems there is still some hope for closure before the end of the year when the newest Dragon Ball film releases December 14. The film has just released its first trailer and will focus on the Saiyans, the “origins of Goku‘s power,” and potentially the story of the very first Super Saiyan God. Not only does it aim to be the best film in the series, original creator Akira Toriyama will be contributing to the film’s script and new character designs.

Dragon Ball Super‘s “Universal Survival” arc is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. DragonBallSuper airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swim airs the English dub during its Toonami block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m, and is now available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video.

If you want to catch up with the English dub, the first 39 episodes of Dragon Ball Super are now available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and available to purchase on Amazon Video as well. The 39 episodes span the full range of what has aired in the North America and covers the “Battle of Gods” arc, “Revival of F” arc, the “Universe 6” arc, and bringing the series right up to the current TV airings of the “Future Trunks” arc.